Frustrated by a lack of informed and honest review websites covering a wide range of electronic music, I write them myself.

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Deltron 3030 - Deltron 3030

75 Ark: 2000

After years of speculation, anticipation, teases, and delays, the sequel to the underground classic Deltron 3030 was to hit the streets this month. And now Deltron Event II has been postponed again, until next spring. Ergh, argh! I cannae take this anticipation any longer. Maybe I shouldn't have stumbled upon this album after all.

Oh, who am I kidding? It was an eventuality that I’d hear the project of Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, Dan The Automator, and Kid Koala. When I did discover Deltron though, it was quite a fluke, coming at a time when personal purchasing power was pathetic, made more so by the lack of options in a backwards interior BC town I briefly lived at. How this CD came to be at that lone music store, I have no idea, but lo’ it was a true blessing I saw it at a time I had rare spending cash. I was already familiar with Del’s work with his posse Hieroglyphics, and you couldn’t escape the Gorillaz hit Clint Eastwood that year either, so seeing his name on the wrap sticker of an intriguing cover, I took the gamble and bought it blind.

I'll admit to some jadedness regarding first impressions, rarely blown away within the first couple songs of a CD. Not so here. The opening mournful tones of 3030, Del's fiery future lyricism, and Koala's subtle scratching instantly won me over, but when that chorus hit in grand operatic fashion, I knew I'd be in for a proper ride. 3030, though brilliant, was just a tease, as the album kept getting better and better with every track! (except Upgrade, but few album's are that perfect).

The appeal lies in the concept. This is definitely a future-shock album, but all is not so bleak as most artists go (hi, FSOL!). Corporations run rampant and unchecked, the underclass struggles, and it's up to Deltron Zero to bring the fight in this era. Fortunately, he also finds time to partake in intergalactic rap battles and chill out after a hard day's endeavors. It doesn't hurt most of the skits keep the outlook humorous and tongue-in-cheek; yes, there are problems, but we can laugh at the absurdity too. By the end of it all, Deltron's world seems more akin to Futurama than the dystopia suggested at the start.

Deltron 3030's gone down as a classic of the niche 'nerdcore' micro-genre, where lyrics and themes focus on geek culture, scientific jargon, and sci-fi settings. It's also a rare feat of musical craft, maintaining a consistent motif throughout while appealing to any casual fan of undergroun hip-hop, clever production, or unique music in general. Del was on a creative tear in those years while Dan The Automator cemented his place as a producer to be reckoned with. Meanwhile, some guy named Damon Albarn, who guest-warbled on Time Keeps On Slipping, took notice of this duo's brilliance, and got them to make a couple tracks to launch his Gorillaz project. That turned out pretty good too, apparently.